Scott Lentine
West Coast Premiere of Fountain Theatre’s ‘On the Spectrum’ Catches the Eye of Poet with Autism
by Scott Lentine
I am a 25 year old man with high-functioning autism (PDD-NOS/Asperger’s) from Billerica, MA, a Boston suburb. I graduated from Merrimack College magna cum laude with a Bachelor’s Degree in Religious Studies with a Biology minor. I am currently an office intern at the Arc of Massachusetts in Waltham, where I try to persuade lawmakers to pass key disability resources legislation to improve the lives of people with developmental disabilities. I am interested in data clerical entry duties, hospital settings, autism non-profit organizations, and research type work. I have some autism song/poems that I wanted to share with people on the autism spectrum and to musicians who support autism causes.
Just a Normal Day
Never knowing what to say
Never knowing what to do
Always looking for clues
Just a normal day
Feeling unsure
Totally perplexed with everyday life
Always on edge never certain
I wish I could lift this curtain
Needing to constantly satisfy my need for information
Always online searching for new revelations
Going from site to site
Obtaining new insights every night
Trying to connect with people my age
Attempting to reveal my unique vision
But ending up alone and unengaged
Feeling like my needs a total revision
Just a normal day.
Virginia Newcomb & Dan Shaked in “On the Spectrum” at the Fountain Theatre.
Can’t You See
Can’t you see
I just want to have a friend
Can’t you see
I need the same connections in the end
Can’t you see
I want a good job
Can’t you see
I need to have stability and dependence and part of the general mob
Can’t you see
I want to be independent on my own
Can’t you see
I want to be able to have my own home
Can’t you see
I want the same things as everyone else
Can’t you see
I want to be appreciated for myself.
Dan Shaked in “On the Spectrum”
The Ode to the Autistic Man
Try to understand the challenges that I face
I would like to be accepted as a human in all places
Where I will end up in life I don’t know
But I hope to be successful wherever I go
I would like to expand my social skills in life
Making new friends would be very nice
Stand proud for the autistic man
For he will find a new fan
I hope to overcome the odds I face today
Increased acceptance will lead me to a brighter day
By the age of 20, I will have made tremendous strides
I know in the future, life will continue to be an interesting ride
I have made new friends by the year
I will be given tremendous respect by my family and peers
I hope to get noted for bringing the issue of autism to the common man
So that autistic people can be accepted in this great land
Stand proud for the autistic man
For he will find a new fan
I hope to overcome the odds I face today
Increased acceptance will lead me to a brighter day.
Marshfield Memories poem
Today is a beautiful day on the beach
There are plenty of people and dogs to see
The water is warm and the sky is bright
And seeing some people flying a kite
I am having a fun time with cousins and friends
Hoping that this day will never end
The ocean and sands are comfortable and feel so right
Taking a walk towards Brant Rock in the strong sunlight
Now it is the evening of the third of July
Watching the amazing fireworks from the seawall go by
Talking with family about the latest moments of the day
And meeting some new friends along the way
It was a great time on the beach today
Reading a book and going into the ocean on a bright clear day
These are moments that I will remember for a long time
Being on the beach on a nice warm day is truly sublime.
Visit Scott Lentine on his blog.
On the Spectrum at the Fountain Theatre. The West Coast Premiere of a funny and touching love story with a difference. Mac has Asperger’s. Iris has autism. An online chat blossoms into an unforgettable friendship. Not your (neuro)typical love story. March 16 – April 28 (323) 663-1525 MORE
This production is sponsored, in part, by The Help Group.
